Newcastle Falcons - We're back!! Championship winners

Manager: Dean Richards
Head Coach: Peter Russell

Current Squad:

Forwards
Props:
Grant Shiels
Oliver Tomasczyk
Keiron Brookes
Scott Wilson

Hookers:
Matt Thompson
Rob Vickers
Scott Lawson

Second Rows:
Carlo Del Fava
Scott MacLeod
Sean Tomes
Frasier McKensie

Back Row
Ally Hogg
Will Welch
Richard Mayhew
Andy Saul
Mark Wilson
Chris York

Backs
SH's
Rory Lawson
Chris Pilgrim
Warren Fury
Mike Blair

Fh's
Joel Hodgson
Waisea Luveniyali
Rory Clegg
Phil Godman

Centres
Jamie Helleur
James Fitzpatrick
Tane Tu'ipulotu
Andrew Higgins
Alex Crocket
Michael Tait
Adam Powell
Danny Barnes - In from Munster

Wing:
Ryan Shortland
Andy Higgins
Suka Hufanga
Noah Cato

FB's:
Tom Catterick
Alex Tait

Well the season starts on Sunday...with a cracker against Bristol..who should in all fairness be in the Prem at the expense of London Welsh.

They'll be up for this...how do you think we'll go...

Nice opening fixture GF, against probably the strongest Championship team besides yourselves. Should proivde a good measure of how Falcons have to perform throughout the season. I'm excited to see what sort of game you'll be playing under Richards

Anyone reckon Josh Beaumont and Joel Hodgson will get much game time this year?

Hodgson started a pre season game didn't he? And looked like a class act? I may be mistaken there, but the name rings a bell....

As for Beaumont, I didn't even realise he was on their books until recently, but he's a real lump of a lad. Obviously has good genes, so hopefully he gets some game time and we can properly see him play. He looks like a real bruising sort of player, but maybe someone who's seen him play can shed some light on this?

I thought Josh B went across to Sale? - he deffo was in Falcon colours last season but turned out for the Sale 7s side in the premiership sevens thingy a few weeks back.

He looked quite mobile for a big lad.

Oh TrailApe you're right....thanks for correcting me. I got confused! He's no longer on the Falcons 1st XV squad page, so I assume he has moved?

Yup, he was with us for a few 'A' games as he was studying at Durham Uni - he's a north western lad so its fair enough he gravitates towards Sale.


(In TrailApe world Cumbria is not NW and is affiliated with Nothumberland, Durham and North Yorkshire into 'The North')

Yes, strange, but there you go.

Yeah i was waiting to confirm about Josh B...knew he had been seen in Sale colours...

Joel Hodgson is a quality player..and did indeed play against Leeds. He is signed to the England 7's team this season...but i think he will defo get quite a few games this season...though some of us Falcons have suggested moving to SH due to his frame. He did look like he'd put a few pounds on in the pre season mind.

Think it'll be a cracker.

We have been noteably physical in the preseasons and even some Ulster fans said we were putting some big hits in. So i suspect we will play a physical pack getting the ball out to our backs who are also big physical guys..tui'polotu and Fitzy...with Gopperth hitting the points...

I'm going to the Bristol game with a couple of my mates, I'll add some pictures when I get the chance next week.

Excellent Marra...i was so tempted to come down to it...

TrailApe wrote:Yup, he was with us for a few 'A' games as he was studying at Durham Uni - he's a north western lad so its fair enough he gravitates towards Sale.


(In TrailApe world Cumbria is not NW and is affiliated with Nothumberland, Durham and North Yorkshire into 'The North')

Yes, strange, but there you go.

It's also true. Our local news is definitely aligned with the N.E. rather than the N.W.

GeordieFalcon wrote:Excellent Marra...i was so tempted to come down to it...

It's a shame you couldn't pal, it would have been cracking to meet up and and have a few pints in Brizzle.

Teams are up:

Newcastle:

15 Luke Fielden, 14 Andrew Higgins, 13 Alex Crockett, 12 Tane Tu’ipulotu, 11 Ryan Shortland, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Chris Pilgrim,

1 Jonny Golding, 2 Rob Vickers, 3 Oliver Tomaszczyk, 4 Sean Tomes, 5 James Hudson, 6 Ally Hogg, 7 Will Welch (c), 8 Taiasina Tu’ifua

Reps: 16 Matt Thompson, 17 James Hall, 18 Scott MacLeod, 19 Richard Mayhew, 20 Rory Lawson, 21 James Fitzpatrick, 22 Waisea Luveniyali

Bristol:

15 Jon Goodridge, 14 Mike Tagicakibau, 13 Jack Gadd, 12 Luke Eves, 11 Ryan Edwards, 10 Tristan Roberts, 9 James Grindal,

1 Kyle Traynor, 2 Ross Johnston, 3 Wayne Thompson, 4 Mariano Sambucetti, 5 Glen Townson, 6 Ian Grieve (c) 7 Redford Pennycook, 8 Marco Mama

Reps: 16 Rhys Lawrence, 17 Bruce Douglas, 18 Ben Glyn, 19 James Merriman, 20 Ruki Tipuna, 21 Matthew Jones, 22 David McIlwaine

Eh??? Am i seeing things?

Is Del Fava injured? Tomes hasnt played a single preseason game....

Fitzy is obviously not rated as high as Tui'polotu...and no place for Tom Catterick.

I fancy a win here...

Ps 3 ex Falcons for Bristol...they'll be up for it..

I guess there will be some unfamiliar names there in the Bristol team (except for the lads who spent some time with you. By the way, what did you do to Luke Eves?! Doesn't look like the same player who left us!) but I can tell you its not far off our best team give or take a couple. In the centre Fatua Otto is a big miss for us, whilst Hobsons experience at prop may be missed.

Tomes is an odd one eh? A bit of a blast from the past!

He was walking around KP during the festival when we played leeds and Doncaster...and looked total unconditioned and out of shape - like he'd had a long term injury...this one has come out the blue.

Hope he plays well...he's a big lad!

Bristolian wrote:I guess there will be some unfamiliar names there in the Bristol team (except for the lads who spent some time with you. By the way, what did you do to Luke Eves?! Doesn't look like the same player who left us!) but I can tell you its not far off our best team give or take a couple. In the centre Fatua Otto is a big miss for us, whilst Hobsons experience at prop may be missed.

Alan Tait didn't help Eves, mind you, he didn't help most of the Falcons team!

Cumbrian wrote:

Bristolian wrote:I guess there will be some unfamiliar names there in the Bristol team (except for the lads who spent some time with you. By the way, what did you do to Luke Eves?! Doesn't look like the same player who left us!) but I can tell you its not far off our best team give or take a couple. In the centre Fatua Otto is a big miss for us, whilst Hobsons experience at prop may be missed.

Alan Tait didn't help Eves, mind you, he didn't help most of the Falcons team!

Amen to that...woeful Manager....

Should be a cracking game, on paper the best two teams and 1st place decider (for what thats worth). I would think/hope this will be your toughest fixture, whilst our only harder game will be up at your place.

Looking at the teams I make Falcons favourites, but home advantage and (what I believe to be) better pre-season fixtures for Bris could even it up.

Bristol 20-37 Newcastle

Newcastle have thrown down the gauntlet.....vital win...

Well done chaps, you beat my dad's team! How did York play? (I know he didn't play, this is going to be a running joke, I've decided)

Really enjoyable game. I felt Bristol had the edge in the first half, despite the score. They kept losing the collisions in the forwards, which became telling in the end. Falcons were also very clinical, the lads finished off nearly every chance that arose (apart from one howler). There was some really well worked tries too.

I will stick some pictures up when I get the chance.

How did Tomes play.

Did you mean we had the endge in the collisions?

I nearly choked on my cup of tea when i read the word clinical and falcons in the same sentance....

How was Hogg? Did he conitnue his preseason form?

So Falcons now a shoo-in to top the table I guess. Time to start preparing for the play-off?

Not yet LT

We have loads of work to do...if we do go back up...we need to be able to compete this time. We are making big strides already but lets get the pieces together as im sure Richards and Russell will plan for.

I am very confident of course...

NB There is a play off this season. The Semi's and Final are two legged...

GeordieFalcon wrote:How did Tomes play.

Did you mean we had the endge in the collisions?

I nearly choked on my cup of tea when i read the word clinical and falcons in the same sentance....

How was Hogg? Did he conitnue his preseason form?

Yeah, we won the collisions. Mind you, we struggle in the scrum a bit when Bristol swapped their front row over. Tomes didn't stand out to be honest, I didn't notice him too much. It might have been because of where I was standing (a lot of play seemed to take place on the far side of the pitch), but I didn't notice Hogg too much either. He made a few decent close quarter carries (and his try), but I don't remember seeing much more than that.

Photographs as promised.

Well maybe they were just efficient...doing the close work stuff well...rather than flamboyant plays...which im more than happy with if we can keep those perofmances up.

Interesting the scrum struggled a little ....we've looked strong there in the preseasons...

Spoiler:

Well done Falcons / Deano.

'A' Team beat Sale Jets 7-19 too.

http://www.newcastlefalcons.co.uk/news/story/sale-a-7-falcons-a-19

What ever happened to Jordi Pasqualin?

Was really excited when he joined us and he went totally off the ball.

Still a pretty big win for the opening game and we scored more than 30 points!!!!

Im happy with Pilgrim at 9...cracking little scrum half...and plenty of aggression.

Out of curiosity...IF we make it back up at first attempt...is there any players you think might make the saxons or maybe even the EPS...

Geordie/Driver/Cumbrian/Trail Ape, Looking forward to welcoming your lot to the Richmond Athletic Ground on Saturday - suspect that you'll give Scottish a shoeing, but all good

If you're being serious about Saxon callups. I can only imagine welch and possibly Golding for now.

Chris York , Big Ol and Luke Fielden could make it.

Could. I was thinking more probable.

Great start from the lads, hope we can keep it up.

I imagine Fielden will bag stacks of tries this season, boy is a serious finisher and we missed him last year.

Scott Wilson named in U20s squad.

Why did York not play? Was he injured??

Wilson seems to be progressing well. Will learn a lot playing behind Snickler

So Gopperth is indeed the starting 10. Disappointing but predictable.

Yeah but u cant argue with the first games performance.and in preseason he looked more open maybe hes been warned....his place is in jeopardy....

Apologies for thread hijacking, but are any of you Newcastle fans Durham based or know the city well?

Having moved up 6 months ago I am on the lookout for a good rugby pub in Durham if any of you can advise, I'll probably pop up and see Newcastle at some point as well. Probably sooner, but at the very least for the Tigers game if they can get back into the premiership next season. Having not been before is it a decent venue for a neutral fan? And what's access like from the south?

As a Tigers man I'm keen to see how Deano does, and from the result it looks pretty good so far.

Not a Newcastle fan but I am at Uni in Durham. Varsity on Saddler street is usually pretty good for rugby. They showed all the 6 nations matches, England's June tests, the sensibly timed World Cup matches, the prem and Heineken cup finals, possibly the semis as well and I also watched Aus vs the barbarians in there. They've got several screens so they're usually happy to put stuff on if you ask. The only problem is it can get quite crowded for big games, especially if there's footie on at the same time, which can make it hard to get a good view. It's also more of a bar than a traditional pub.

I've not personally watched rugby in any of the other pubs in Durham and the only other place I've seen it advertised was at the New Inn on Stockton Road near the Uni Library.

If you want to watch TV rugby in the North East there are two places to do it

1) On your own telly

2) At a local rugby club.

If the HC final, the Premiership final and the Rabo final all were scheduled for the same day and the only football game was Torquay Utd vs Plymouth Argyll in a mid table clash of the Betterbuy and JML League, guess what game will be televised in NE pub?

couldnt have put it better Trailape....

Driver wrote:Scott Wilson named in U20s squad.

Another one out of the academy conveyor belt....with big hopes. Judging by the footage ive seen he's a big scrummager first and foremost...which seems to be novel for a prop these days....in that he cant do the hundred in 9.5 secs handle the ball like a basket ball player etc etc.

So far Leicester have wasted Brookes (i accept he had a brutal injury) and Bath have turned Wilson into a powder puff....so lets hope he stays here for a while....

GeordieFalcon wrote:So far Leicester have wasted Brookes (i accept he had a brutal injury)

Not really fair to say he was wasted when, as you point out, he was injured... Leicester can be accused of many things, but not developing/using props properly isn't one of them!